In today’s digital landscape, retailers can no longer afford to limit themselves to a single sales channel. Expanding from Magento to multiple marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and TikTok Shop is crucial for reaching a wider audience and increasing revenue. We’ve mentioned these platforms because they dominate their respective markets—Walmart ranks among the top 10 in the U.S., while TikTok Shop is experiencing explosive growth, rapidly reshaping the e-commerce landscape.
However, transitioning to a multichannel retail strategy comes with challenges that require careful navigation.
This blog explores the buyer’s journey in multichannel retail and how Magento sellers can optimize each stage—from product discovery to post-purchase experience—across various marketplaces.
Understanding the buyer’s journey in multichannel retail
Why is this important for Magento sellers? With a Magento store connected to multiple marketplaces, you can sell across platforms simultaneously, balancing sales performance—while one marketplace sees steady but slow sales, another, like TikTok Shop, can make your product go viral overnight.
Understanding the buyer’s journey is essential for retailers looking to maximize sales and customer satisfaction across multiple marketplaces. This journey consists of three fundamental stages:
- Awareness – The buyer identifies a need or desire.
- Consideration – The buyer evaluates different products and sellers.
- Decision – The buyer makes a purchase and expects a smooth post-sale experience.
Multi-seller Magento setups allow businesses to create a marketplace within Magento, supporting multiple vendors with centralized management.
Stage 1: Awareness – getting found on marketplaces
The first stage of the buyer’s journey, Awareness, is where potential customers discover your products. However, getting found on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, TikTok Shop, and Walmart is challenging, especially when competing with millions of listings. Magento retailers must focus on visibility and discoverability to stand out. And some third-party extensions can help you with that. You can try M2E Pro Magento 2 Amazon or M2E Pro Magento Walmart integration to sell on the two most popular marketplaces.
Key challenges:
- Marketplace competition: Large marketplaces are flooded with similar products, making it difficult to get noticed.
- Listing optimization: Each marketplace has its own SEO rules and listing requirements, making it tricky to ensure Magento product data aligns appropriately.
- Advertising costs: Paid ads can boost visibility, but without proper targeting, they can drain budgets with little return.
Magento with marketplace functionality helps retailers expand their reach by listing products across various sales channels directly from their Magento store. Let’s see how to overcome these challenges.
Optimize for organic search (SEO)
Each marketplace has its search algorithm, prioritizing relevant, high-quality listings. Thus, sellers should:
- Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions based on marketplace search trends.
- Provide detailed product attributes to improve discoverability.
- Optimize images, bullet points, and backend search terms for better ranking.
- Maintaining competitive pricing, fast shipping, and positive reviews impacts organic rankings.
Example: A Magento seller lists a men’s leather wallet on Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. To optimize SEO:
- They create a keyword-rich title on Amazon: “Genuine Leather Wallet for Men – RFID Blocking, Slim Bifold with Card Slots & Cash Pocket.”
- They ensure the Amazon ASIN is correctly linked to the product to avoid duplicate listings and improve discoverability.
- On eBay, they provide detailed attributes, including material (genuine leather), dimensions (4.5″ x 3.5″), and features (RFID protection).
- Walmart backend search terms include “men’s leather wallet, RFID bifold wallet, slim cardholder.”
- They upload high-quality images showcasing compartments and stitching details.
Leverage paid advertising for extra visibility
Paid promotions can help sellers stand out in competitive categories and accelerate sales.
- Amazon PPC (Pay-Per-Click): Sponsored Product Ads place listings at the top of search results, driving immediate traffic to product pages.
- eBay Promoted Listings: Boosts visibility on search and category pages, allowing sellers to pay only when a sale occurs.
- Walmart Sponsored Ads: Increases exposure in Walmart search queries, helping products appear in front of high-intent buyers.
- TikTok Shop Ads: Engages potential customers through shoppable video ads and in-app promotions, which are ideal for driving impulse purchases and social commerce sales.
Leveraging UGC (User-Generated Content) and Affiliation
User-generated content (UGC) boosts trust, engagement, and conversions on Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and especially TikTok Shop.
- Tap into TikTok Shop’s UGC ecosystem: Partner with influencers for authentic product demos.
- Repurpose UGC: Use customer photos/videos in ads, listings, and A+ Content.
- Run UGC-based promotions: Offer discounts or giveaways for shared content.
What’s more? The TikTok Shop Affiliate Program connects sellers with creators who promote products via shoppable videos and livestreams for a commission. Sellers set rates, while influencers drive sales, boosting visibility and conversions through organic engagement.
The Amazon Influencer Program allows content creators to earn commissions on qualifying purchases by promoting products through their Amazon Storefronts. Influencers from YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook can participate. Amazon doesn’t modify its content and can share honest reviews to help customers discover products.
The Walmart Creator Program lets influencers promote Walmart products and earn commissions on sales. Creators can access performance analytics, personalized recommendations, and exclusive brand deals. Open to influencers across social media platforms, it’s a way to monetize content while driving Walmart sales.
Authentic customer experiences make products more discoverable and appealing, driving marketplace success.
Automated data synchronization
Managing product listings manually across multiple marketplaces is inefficient and can lead to inconsistencies, errors, and stock mismatches. Use M2E Pro to sync Magento product data with Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and M2E Connect TikTok Shop.
Key benefits:
- Automatic product sync: It ensures that titles, descriptions, and pricing stay updated across all channels.
- Bulk listing management: Save time by updating multiple listings at once.
- Real-time inventory updates: Prevent overselling by keeping stock levels synchronized.
M2E Pro Magento 2 eBay extension allows merchants to manage eBay listings, orders, and stock directly from their Magento dashboard.
Stage 2: Consideration – driving buyer confidence and engagement
Once a buyer discovers a product, the next challenge is convincing them to choose it over competitors. At this stage, potential customers compare features, prices, reviews, and brand trust before purchasing. Building credibility and engagement is essential to driving conversions for Magento retailers selling on multiple marketplaces.
Key challenges:
- Competitive pressure: Buyers have multiple options and compare products based on price, features, and seller reputation.
- Pricing variability: Each marketplace has different pricing dynamics, and setting a competitive yet profitable price can be difficult.
- Brand consistency: Ensuring a uniform brand identity and customer experience across different sales channels is challenging but necessary for trust.
Dynamic pricing strategies
Pricing plays a critical role in purchase decisions. A static pricing approach may lose sales if competitors undercut prices or market demand shifts.
- Use repricing tools to automatically adjust prices based on competitor activity, demand trends, and marketplace pricing rules.
- Set marketplace-specific discounts and promotions to stay competitive without violating price parity policies.
- Analyze historical data and competitor trends to optimize price adjustments for maximum profitability.
Live shopping & social commerce
Real-time engagement through live shopping and social commerce transforms how buyers interact with brands. Marketplaces like TikTok Shop, Amazon Live, and eBay Live Shopping provide interactive selling opportunities.
- Use TikTok Shop’s live-stream features to demonstrate product benefits, answer customer questions, and drive impulse purchases.
- Leverage Amazon Live for product showcases to educate and engage potential buyers.
- Encourage real-time interaction through comments and exclusive live discounts to create urgency and boost conversions.
Still, TikTok Shop is not the only marketplace allowing a unique customer experience. eBay Live lets sellers host livestream sales and auctions, engaging buyers through real-time interaction. Ideal for collectibles, trading cards, and unique items, it boosts trust, engagement, and conversions.
Integrating social commerce tools with marketplaces for Magento retailers can bridge the gap between discovery and purchase, increasing engagement and sales.
Efficient order & inventory management
Magento marketplace extensions enhance multichannel selling by enabling seamless integration with platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. Accurate inventory and streamlined order processing ensure orders are fulfilled promptly, reducing delays and stock issues.
- Use M2E Pro to automate order synchronization between Magento and marketplaces, ensuring real-time updates across all channels.
- Implement inventory buffers to prevent overselling by setting safety stock levels for high-demand products.
- Track and forecast inventory trends to optimize stock replenishment and avoid stockouts.
Example: A Magento seller using M2E Pro integrates their store with Amazon and eBay. Orders from both platforms sync automatically, updating stock in real-time. They set a safety stock buffer of 5 units for bestsellers to prevent overselling. By tracking sales trends, they restock popular items before running out, ensuring smooth fulfillment and fewer delays.
Stage 3: Decision – ensuring a seamless purchase & post-sale experience
The final stage of the buyer’s journey is when the purchase is completed, and expectations shift to fulfillment, delivery, and post-sale support. A seamless checkout and post-sale experience can turn one-time buyers into loyal customers, while delays or issues can lead to negative reviews and lost future sales. Magento retailers must focus on efficient fulfillment, real-time inventory management, and responsive customer support to maintain marketplace performance and reputation.
Key challenges:
- Marketplace fulfillment standards: Each platform has specific shipping and delivery expectations, such as Amazon Prime eligibility or eBay’s fast shipping requirements.
- Real-time order & inventory management: Overselling due to inventory mismatches can lead to order cancellations and account penalties.
- Returns and post-sale support: Efficiently handling returns and customer inquiries is crucial to maintaining high seller ratings and repeat business.
Fulfillment optimization
Fast and reliable shipping influences customer satisfaction and seller performance. Therefore, choosing the proper fulfillment method based on marketplace expectations and business needs is critical.
- Leverage Amazon MCF (Multi-Channel Fulfillment): Even if you sell on eBay, TikTok Shop, or other marketplaces, you can use Amazon’s fulfillment network for faster delivery. While it may cost more than marketplace-specific logistics, it often provides better speed and reliability.
- Use third-party extensions to benefit from Amazon MCF: Thus, you can simplify multi-marketplace order management with the M2E Amazon MCF Magento 2 extension, seamlessly handling fulfillment for eBay, TikTok Shop, and your Magento store from a single hub.
- Consider marketplace-specific fulfillment: TikTok Shop’s fulfillment service is less widely used than Amazon MCF.
- Use third-party logistics (3PL): This solution can be cost-effective for multi-marketplace fulfillment while maintaining competitive shipping speeds. For example, eBay Guaranteed Delivery for faster, trackable shipments. Walmart’s Two-Day Shipping is used to increase visibility in search results.
Example: A Magento merchant sells across Amazon, eBay, and TikTok Shop. Instead of managing multiple fulfillment processes, they use Amazon MCF to ship all marketplace orders efficiently. The M2E Amazon MCF extension automatically sends orders from eBay and TikTok Shop to Amazon for fulfillment. For Walmart they opt for Walmart’s Two-Day Shipping to boost visibility. This setup reduces shipping delays, improves customer satisfaction, and simplifies logistics.
Hassle-free returns & support
A smooth returns process and responsive customer support build trust and encourage repeat purchases.
- Standardize return policies to align with marketplace requirements and minimize disputes.
- Implement automated return management solutions to streamline processing and issue refunds or replacements quickly.
- Leverage AI-driven chatbots and self-service portals for instant support, reducing the workload on customer service teams.
Conclusion
Navigating the buyer’s journey in multichannel retail requires strategy. Magento retailers can maximize conversions by optimizing visibility, engaging buyers, and ensuring a seamless post-purchase experience.
While automation tools help streamline inventory sync, order management, and pricing, adapting to each marketplace’s needs, Magento POS is all-in-one solution for omnichannel retailers to sell and manage Magento websites and in-store orders. Magento sellers can build a strong, scalable multichannel business by tackling key challenges at every stage. Contact Magestore for a detailed consultation.
FAQs
1. What are the biggest challenges of selling on multiple marketplaces from Magento?
Common challenges include inventory synchronization, pricing consistency, order management complexity, and meeting marketplace compliance requirements.
2. How can Magento retailers optimize their mobile shopping experience for marketplace buyers?
Ensuring mobile-friendly product images, concise descriptions, and fast-loading pages improves engagement on marketplaces with high mobile traffic, like TikTok Shop and Walmart.
3. What are the benefits of using Magento for multi-seller marketplace setups?
Magento enables centralized multi-seller management, syncing products, inventory, and orders across marketplaces via third-party extensions. Sellers can find everything they need in one single dashboard. It offers scalability, deep customization, and automation, ensuring seamless workflows, real-time updates, and flexible API integrations. With full data ownership and cost efficiency, Magento is a powerful hub for marketplace operations.
